Military loading ? M2 (30-06)

Radar

Anybody know if the loads for a M2 ball,a AP round,blue tip,or tracer were the same ? What were they ?

20gabob

From the info I have available on 30.06 M2 Ball velocity 2740+-30fps bullet 152-3 grs powder 50 gr IMR4895 or 50gr WC852 or 45 grCMR100. Tracer M25 shows bullet 145.5-4 grs with same powder loading of IMR4895 or WC852 velocity of 2665+-30 fps. My book doesn't show a blue Tip info. Hope this will help you.

20gabob

Sorry forgot the AP loading. It shows AP M2 velocity 2715+-30 fps bullet 166-7.5 gr WC852 55 gr IMR4895 55 gr black tip. Hope that helps.

Radar

Thanks Bob.

Mobuck

Don't try those loads with currently produced powder w/o working up.

20gabob

That should go without saying as the military basically used uncannistered powders for the most part. They were shipped to them in rail car loads and then tested for pressure and velocity to meet the requirements needed for ammunition manufacture. WCC852 was basically an uncannistered Win760 or H414 powder but could be faster or slower burning than anything cannistered for public use. The way I answered the question was what the gov't put out as info altho charges did vary quite a bit based on powder delivered to them by manufacturers.

Radar

Thanks guys. I was thinking about starting around 45 gr and maybe go up a couple from there. I have some older IMR 4895 in 1 lb cans that i was going to use up,some say improved military powder and some dont, i wonder if the improved is newer.Im just trying to use up some of the old pulled bullets for plinking.

Cheechako

Blue tips are Incendiary

Hawk Carse

One source I found said blue tip was straight incendiary.
API was silver.

Ambrose

Radar: IMR stands for "Improved Military Rifle" powder.

charliemeyer007

color codes
http://cartridgecollectors.org/?page=introduction-to-30-06-cartridges

Cheechako

quote:Originally posted by Hawk Carse
One source I found said blue tip was straight incendiary.
API was silver.


You are right. API is silver tipped.

Radar

Guess the blue tips wont make very good plinking ammo then.

charliemeyer007

Started range fires with orange and red tips. The only armor piercing incendiary tracer I got to shoot was with a M2 in the rain.

bpost

quote:Originally posted by Radar
Thanks guys. I was thinking about starting around 45 gr and maybe go up a couple from there. I have some older IMR 4895 in 1 lb cans that i was going to use up,some say improved military powder and some dont, i wonder if the improved is newer.Im just trying to use up some of the old pulled bullets for plinking.

46-47 grains of IMR 4895 with 150-168 grain bullets worked every M1 i shot it in.

Ambrose

As an addendum to my comments regarding IMR: The first 4895 powder I used (back in the 1950's) was the surplus stuff that ultimately came to be sold by Bruce Hodgdon and came to be called H4895. IIRC, DuPont did not, at that time, market IMR4895 but did so later probably as a response to the popularity of the surplus 4895. So if you have some cans of 4895 that are not marked "Improved", they might be H4895. I have found that the current H4895 gives slightly higher velocities than IMR4895 and must, therefore, be slightly faster burning but with the charges we are discussing, it shouldn't be a factor. I use both powders more or less interchangeably in my M1 rifles but, as always, check and follow your reloading manuals.

BTW: I just checked a 1952 Stoegers catalog and they list IMR3031, 4064, 4198, 4320, 4227, and 4350 but no IMR4895, however a 1957 Stoegers does list "#4895 Gov't powder" on the DuPont page. Incidently, a 1 pound can of IMR powder was $2.50 in 1957!